[spoiler]This is a short story I wrote loosely based off a dream I had. Wrote it down for fun.[/spoiler] “Hello?” “Hello” I whirled around, stumbling over the piles of broken furniture and glass. I regained my composure and raised my glinting rifle to shakily aim at the shadowy doorway. Not a breathing creature in sight. “Who’s there” I demanded. My blood rushed to my ears, pumping hard and fast. I felt my face go red and my hands grow numb as I gripped my weapon, poised in the ready stance to defend myself. “Eva” called the invisible little voice. A little girls voice, ringing clear as day from the empty doorway. She spoke without any hint of fear in her voice. Perhaps she couldn’t see the rifle, nor the state of the bodies around her. “Where are you?” I ask, lowering the black barrel to the ground and cautiously stepping forward. I squinted from the sunlight streaming through the holed floor above. My heart still beat in my throat as I feared the worst of the unusual situation I found myself in, but curiosity got the better of me and I let my guard down. “I’m right here!” I hear the soft patter of little bare feet scamper across the dusty floor. Still seeing nothing, I crept closer until my shoulder brushed the doorframe and I was able to vaguely make out the shapes within the darkness. An untouched room, save for a few broken plates and upturned chairs. It was a dining room. The table still held the ashy remnants of its last hot meal. The only window had been tightly boarded up, but the few determined beams of threaded sunlight fought through the gaps, gently lighting a small space of the floor with a few dots and dashes of golden rays. She sat against the wall beneath the fortified window, her small white hands clasping her knees to her chest. She gazed at me with wide brown eyes, no trace of worry or despair. It was as though she had been expecting me “Eva you said it was?” I whispered gently, hoping not to alarm her peaceful state. I casually lowered myself to her level, crouching on my knees and slowly stowing away my rifle. I kept my distance, remaining near the open doorway “Are you alright?” “Yes I’m alright” she responded curtly, as though I were asking her a silly obvious question. “Is this your house then?” I questioned further Her eyes wandered around the room as if this was her first time noticing her devastated surroundings. “It used to be” she replied softly “Eva, where is your family?” “Out there” she stuck a pointed finger towards the door where I crouched, indicating the room of destruction beyond. I turned back around to see her gazing expectantly at me with her cold stare. I felt myself shiver as I watched her survey me “Where are your friends?” She demanded abruptly “My friends?” “The other men in green” “Oh. They’re.....cleaning up outside.” “Cleaning up the bodies” she responded knowingly. “Did any of them live?” “Who?” I inquired, rather taken aback by her leisurely behavior in such a setting “The animals.” “Ehm, I’m not sure.” “Oh.” A short silence ensued before I thought it best to continue. “Eva, do you know what happened to your family?” “Yes. They died” she answered once again devoid of emotion “Do you think you could tell me what happened? It’s ok if you don’t want t-“ “The Germans blew us up. We were supposed to leave. Father said we must stay and we would be alright but they came and they blew us up.” “......oh.” I paused. “Were you here when it happened?” “Yes.” “Did anyone else survive?” “No one.” “I’m.....sorry to hear that...are you from around here?” “I live here.” “Here in the Netherlands or did you come from somewhere else before? You speak perfect English. Not even an accent.” She lowered her brow and wrinkled her nose, perplexed by my words. “No I don’t” “What do you mean?” “I don’t speak English.” “But you’re speaking it right now!” “No I’m not!” She insisted, growing agitated. “Ok fine.” I eased off the subject, fearing how she might react when upset. “Let’s just stay calm alright?” “Alright” I stretched out a hand “Will you come outside with me?” “Why” “I think we should find you some help” “Help how?” She once again squinted at me suspiciously “Something to eat and somewhere to stay. You can’t stay here.” “But I like it here.” She argued indignantly. “Surely not right now you don’t” I answered, trying to shake the uneasy feeling she gave me as she disputed to stay amongst the wreckage of the farm house and the slowly rotting corpses of her family. “Listen, I know this is your home but it’s not safe to be here anymore. You really can’t stay here or you could die.” I spoke slowly, trying my hardest not to frighten her but making sure she understood. “Me and my friends are going to stay here for a little while, but it’s not safe for a little one like you. Will you please just come with me? Please?” Still crouched, I slid my feet a few space forward, my hand still outstretched. She stared at it skeptically, still unmoved. I noticed she had stayed incredibly still throughout our whole encounter, unusual for a child her age. “Are you my friend?” She eventually inquired innocently I paused for a moment “Would you like me to be?” She nodded slowly “Alright then. We’re friends. Now just stand up nice and easy and come over here. I’m gonna need to carry you. Don’t want you stepping on anything sharp.” As asked, she rose to her feet and gracefully flitted forward, her flowing blue nightgown swaying as she walked. As she reached the doorway where I sat, she took my hand in hers. I felt a great shudder pass through me. Her hand felt colder than ice, and yet was warm to the touch. Ignoring the unsettling feeling, I placed my other hand on the doorpost and heaved myself up, slinging my rifle onto my shoulder. I leaned over and gently scooped up the thin figure and stepped through the door back into the room of debris. “I already did” she whispered softly, her voice muffled from her cheek pressed into my shoulder. “Did what?” I asked in confusion, continuing to maneuver my way through the rubble and trying to avoid showing Eva the corpses scattered throughout the living room “I already died.” I stopped in my tracks. Another horrible shudder coursed through my veins as I stared at the floor. There she lay. Her broken frame sprawled out half buried underneath the heaps of wreckage from what was once her house. Her beautiful blue nightgown was torn and bloody, her thin brown hair tangled and matted with ash and splinters. Her enormous brown eyes still wide open as she lay lifeless upon the ground What was I holding in my arms?